Monday Morning Rant 149

The gentle drive from the Ozarks to Miami, OK past farms and through small towns which cover that landscape are an ideal preparation for the 1st Sunday service to follow. Little traffic combined with adequate time to avoid speeding allows one to enjoy God’s beautiful countryside and achieve a level of peace from an otherwise chaotic world. Each mile reveals an un-noticed blessing and a cause for thanks giving. The flowers are now blooming, the animals in the fields are tending to their young, the lawns are all close cropped and evidence of new paint and improvements are everywhere. Nowhere is there any greater evidence of Americans more devoted to their properties. When you travel the same route repeatedly, you notice the fresh color on a fence, a new mailbox or a mowed right-of-way. It would be wonderful to stop and get to know some of these folks who care so much

Typical White House Chutzpah

Byron York reminds us of a quote from the president when questioned about his ability to handle large operations like a natural disaster.

“It's not mentioned much now, but in the late summer of 2008, a major hurricane, Gustav, was in the Gulf of Mexico and headed toward New Orleans, threatening a replay of the disastrous Katrina experience.

On September 1, 2008, Barack Obama, fresh from his Roman-colonnade speech on the final night of the Democratic convention in Denver, talked to CNN's Anderson Cooper about Gustav and the Gulf.

The question: As president, could he handle an emergency like that? Obama pointed to the size of his campaign and its multi-million dollar budget as evidence of his executive abilities.

"Our ability to manage large systems and to execute, I think, has been made clear over the last couple of years," Obama said. That executive ability, he added, "indicates the degree to which we can provide the kinds of support and good service that the American people expect."”

There is little doubt that his hypnotic delivery and a fully compliant press did result in taking over a huge segment of our government. Now he is faced with an ever enlarging disaster, the Gulf oil spill. How running a campaign equates to the gigantic forces of natural pressures which continue to force the oil to flow a mile deep in the ocean we cannot be sure. If that gusher were to respond to silky phrases, lies, and false promises it would be under control right now. In this particular case it would appear that actual hands on expertise, specialized knowledge and a cleared path through governmental regulations would be far more productive.

Here we have yet one more American (?) who does not fully understand those pesky “-ion” words that are filling our current mathematical vocabulary. The campaign was measured in millions not the trillions which our current problems endure. It has become trite, but we must remind the reader: “when your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”

June 6, 1944—A Day to Remember


It was the beginning of the end. To achieve a victory in Europe in WWII, it became necessary to assault the beeches, parachute into the countryside, scale the cliffs and place 100,000 allied soldiers into northern France. To gain V-E Day (Victory in Europe) it was necessary to have D-Day. One of every twenty five men who assaulted the beeches and countryside that day alone gave his life to do so. It was the most massive assault ever mounted to that date and resulted in victory some fourteen months later.

5000 vessels crowded the English Channel with more than 300 aircraft in the skies overhead which dropped more than 13,000 bombs on German defensive structures. For the next six months, the average total of captured Axis troops came to about 30,000 men per month.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower was the overall commander and spoke to the world that day:

"The free men of the world are marching together to victory. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory. Good luck, and let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking."

The above numbers are a cold and sterile appraisal of the one of the noblest efforts ever achieved by men. Each of them met his own fears head on that dull gray morning.  In the end, it was the individual who prevailed and secured the necessary beachhead which led to eventual victory.

Eisenhower was an exceptional leader and organizer. However, he would have been the first to assure you that lacking that individual character and outright will to succeed; the D-Day operation would have ended in failure. The first step out of the Higgins boat which carried them to the beach left them waist deep in water, their weapons held aloft, struggling for footing and most often, under fire. Once they reached the shore, they confronted huge cliffs, confusion and necessary equipment scattered everywhere. The carefully crafted “battle plan” was also consigned to the rubble pile as each unit and individual hastily attempted to adapt to the unanticipated dangers present in that hostile environment. Adapt they did. And, thank God, they did prevail.

We owe a huge debt to our fathers and grandfathers.

More on Helen Thomas

That cantankerous dyspeptic of the White House press corps (Ed: Mr. President, the “s” is silent.) has long been Helen Thomas. The second generation Lebanese finally displayed for the world her anti-Semitic character. Shedding any guise of even handed reporting, she encouraged the continued Diaspora of the Jewish people to Poland and Germany as though those countries were their rightful home. Obviously, she has never cracked a bible or she would find it complete with historic references to the origins of the Jews. Apparently, I missed that part about either Poland or Germany in Genesis.

And Finally

Monday morning found a gentile rain falling, distant thunder, and my dog, Maggie, on the bed cuddling ever closer. One can only imagine the pictures in her mind as the thunder rumbles. She makes no association with the sound and the promise of life-giving rain. Any possible benefit is lost on her. I shall continue to tolerate her temporary indiscretion and allow her presence beside me. Hey, she’s my dog and we’re pals. Little Gus hasn’t heard it yet.

Both the “Ronald Reagan” and the “Veteran’s Honor” roses are in full flower with intense crimson blossoms. The newly planted tomatoes have experienced remarkable growth. The hydrangeas on the north-east side of the house are both blooming with huge flowers; one has white and one blue. Mixed in are the phalanxes of various varieties of day lily with each having an individual flowering date. Although this progression of plant development is normal, we both continue to thank God for His hand in our surroundings.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon